


In A Far Away Land

by FujurPreux



Category: Aladdin (1992), Saiunkoku Monogatari
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-30
Updated: 2010-06-30
Packaged: 2017-10-10 08:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/97453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FujurPreux/pseuds/FujurPreux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shuurei tells Ryuuki about something that happened to Ryuuren in one of his trips.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In A Far Away Land

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 'a souk' prompt of the [story_lottery](http://community.livejournal.com/story_lottery/) challenge @ LJ.

  
Ryuuki got right on time to the clear on the lakeside. Shuurei had finally agreed to meet with him for tea--he'd only had to insist a few times this once. He was so happy about it; after a whole morning of paperwork and annoying ministers, he was going to get his deserved reward.

Shuurei was already there, beautiful as always, pouring tea in the cups. Next to her, there was a basket no doubt full with her delicious home-made food.

"Shuurei!" Ryuuki called.

"Good afternoon, Ryuuki," she replied, smiling.

There was something odd about that smile, but Ryuuki decided to let it go for the time being. Instead, he sat down immediately. He was beaming. "How are you today, Shuurei~?"

"Fine, thank you. And you?"

There it was again. The something odd had returned. "Shuurei, are you all right?"

She broadened his smile in an artificial way. "Of course I am!"

He stared a bit. He felt hurt. Why didn't she trust him? Still, it was more important for him to find out what was bothering her and help her if he could. Shuurei's well being was one of his top priorities at all times.

Perhaps Shuurei felt the strength of his love, because her smile faded. "Well..." she began.

"Yes?" he asked a little more eagerly that he'd intended.

"I don't think you've ever been outside the kingdom, have you?"

"Well, no. Do you want to? Maybe we could find a way to appoint you as an Ambassador's assistant." It took all his might to say this, and he could feel his heart creaking already.

"No, no! It's not that!"

Ryuuki's heart healed itself instantly.

"I was just asking because, well, Ran Ryuuren was at my house last night. He said he'd come back from a far away land and told us a story very hard to believe. I just wanted to know the possibilities of that sort of stories being common somewhere else."

"Ran Ryuuren?" That was Shuuei's little brother, wasn't he? But, most importantly, Ryuuki's interest was all but piqued. Shuuei's little brother had a fame for being a very eccentric character, and they said all sort of amazing things happened around him. "What story did he tell?"

Shuurei looked at Ryuuki for a moment. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Ryuuki nodded, this time as eagerly as he'd intended.

"Very well." Shuurei took a sip from her teacup. "Just remember I told you this is one of Ryuuren's weirdest tales."

Ryuuki nodded again and got himself ready for story time.

  
~*~

  
Ryuuren never got lost, not even in the middle of the desert. The desert was too big, yes, and it looked like all of it was the same. But it wasn't the same, not at all. A keen eye could notice the tiny differences here and there that would tell its owner he wasn't walking in circles. Luckily, Ryuuren had that keen eye. Therefore, he wasn't worried.

He wasn't worried either about the fact that there were only a few drops of water in his canteen while in the horizon, in every direction, there was only sky and sand. He knew someone--or something--would come. he could feel it in his flute, and his flute was never wrong.

To honor it, he played one of his favorite tunes. A new one he would perform in front of his Soul Friend #1: Kou Shuurei.

  
~*~

  
"Did he played it to you?" Ryuuki asked as he nibbled one of the buns.

"He... did..."

"How was it?"

"It was a piece worthy of the others Ryuuren has composed," Shuurei said after a moment.

~*~

  
Ryuuren had only played a few notes when a gust of wind raised, surrounding him with a column of sand. Then, a giant figure was towering over him. It was a robust, blue man without legs.

  
~*~

  
"Blue?" Ryuuki asked.

Shuurei nodded.

"Without legs?"

She nodded again.

"Well, carry on..."

  
~*~

  
"Do you mind?" said the blue man. "I was trying to take my beauty nap in the oasis!"

"Oasis?" Ryuuren asked, looking around. "What oasis?"

"_That_ oasis!" The blue man directed Ryuuren's face towards a small dot in the distance. A dot so small that even a keen eye such as Ryuuren wouldn't have been able to find it without help.

"Oh! I've been looking for one of those! I think." Ryuuren began walking towards it.

The blue man held him by the shoulders. "You're not taking that flute with you, are you?"

Ryuuren frowned. "Of course I am."

The blue man extended his arms and a map appeared between them. "Let's see.." He examined it. And made a face. "Oh, my! That _is_ the only oasis in who-knows-how-many miles around! You do have to go there if you don't want to die."

"How upsetting."

"It is," the blue man said rolling up the map. "I was really counting on that nap. Anyway, you can call me Genie."

"I'm Ran Ryuuren."

"Nice to meet you, Ran Ryuuren. So, listen, how about a deal?"

"I'm listening."

"I'll give you, free of charge, a camel to get you to the oasis if you promise not to play your flute until tomorrow morning."

Ryuuren was scandalized to the core. "But--! How could I--! I mean--!"

"I'll add to the bargain instructions to get to the nearest city! It has a marvelous souk, you'll love it!"

Ryuuren still couldn't utter a full sentence. He was about to walk away when the Genie put the biggest puppy eyes in history. "Pretty please with a date on top?"

Ryuuren looked at his flute. He still was quite offended and didn't want to agree. Who would ever dare to censor a spirit who had born to soar free over the world? Yet, he knew his flute felt that accepting the offer would be for the best.

He murmured an apology and put the flute on his belt. Then, his eyes meet the Genie's. "I accept."

"Excellent! You won't regret it, promise!" Genie made Ryuuren turn around to find his camel, ready for him to climb up on his back. "Watch out, it spits!"

  
~*~

  
"And then, what happened?" Ryuuki asked.

"Ryuuren spent the rest of the day in the oasis and at dawn he parted to the city. He played his flute to his heart's content all the way."

"And the blue man? The... genie?"

"He stayed there. But he promised to come and visit."

"Ah! I'd love to meet him!"

Shuurei stared at him.

Ryuuki felt like he was shrinking.

"You don't believe that story, do you?" Shuurei asked.

He put his index finger on his lips. "Well, it does sound plausible. I mean, weirder things had happened."

Shuurei sighed and poured more tea. "I guess we'll never know."

"Unless the Genie does show up."

Shuurei smiled a bit. "Unless the Genie does show up," she conceded.

This time, her smile was completely honest, so Ryuuki smiled back, happier than ever.


End file.
